Marc Folco: Pace is truly a Bassmaster

Cliff Pace of Petal, Mississippi, won the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Sunday, the 43rd world championship of bass fishing, held on Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Oklahoma, out of a field of 53 professional bass anglers. His three-day total of 54 pounds, 12 ounces netted him a purse of $500,000 and the Bassmaster trophy. With his...

Comment

By MARC FOLCO

southcoasttoday.com

By MARC FOLCO

Posted Mar. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By MARC FOLCO

Posted Mar. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

Cliff Pace of Petal, Mississippi, won the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Sunday, the 43rd world championship of bass fishing, held on Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Oklahoma, out of a field of 53 professional bass anglers. His three-day total of 54 pounds, 12 ounces netted him a purse of $500,000 and the Bassmaster trophy. With his half million dollar prize, Pace became the 39th member of the B.A.S.S. Millionaires Club — anglers who have surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings from Bassmaster events. Pace credited Jackall lures for the win. The heaviest largemouth in the event was 7 pounds, 4 ounces, caught by Mark Pierce of Clarksville, Tennessee.

According to the latest angler survey by Southwicks Associates, largemouth bass remain the No. 1 targeted species of freshwater fish, with 55 percent of fishing activity targeting largemouth bass.

Two renowned area bass anglers who fish the tournament circuit, Al Farland of New Bedford and Ed Kraus of Middleboro, recently became the first inductees into a bass fishing Hall of Fame co-established by the Fall River Bass Anglers and the Mass. B.A.S.S. Federation Nation.

Kraus was to be the first inductee at a ceremony at The Century House in Acushnet, but Farland was also surprised with the honor as they both became co-inductees on the same night. Both anglers received plaques from the Fall River Club and the Federation, along with certificates and flags that had been flown at the Statehouse.

Farland said that Kraus, who has retired from MassWildlife's Southeast District Office and has fished tournaments for many years and won countless awards, had always been his fishing mentor.

"I was beyond words and filled with more emotions that I can describe to be honored along with my mentor," said Farland. "It was unbelievable."

A local politician made news across the country when the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) reported in its national news release on Friday that Massachusetts State Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) recently introduced a bill (Senate 767) that would allow private individuals to file a lawsuit for the "protection and humane treatment of animals."

This is of great concern for all animal owners, says USSA. Animal cruelty is already a crime in Massachusetts just as it is across the country. Animal cruelty laws are enforced by experienced law enforcement officers, including local police forces and animal control officers, who are trained on what is and is not animal cruelty under the law and how to spot it.

"Under this bill, animal rights activists would be able to sue anyone — including sportsmen, farmers and dog owners — whenever and wherever animal cruelty is being committed," said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA's director of government affairs. "This could force sportsmen and women who have done nothing wrong to spend thousands of dollars to defend themselves against animal rights zealots looking to take them to court. Enforcement of animal cruelty laws should be left in the hands of trained law enforcement officers and not be given to animal rights activists to harass law-abiding animal owners and private citizens."

Outdoor Hub Reporters said this week that singer and animal rights activist "Morrissey" was supposed to appear on this week's Jimmy Kimmel Live until he found out that the cast of A&E's Duck Dynasty was also appearing. Duck Dynasty, beginning its third season, revolves around the lives of the Robertson family, owners of the prosperous duck call manufacturer, Duck Commander.

"I can't take the risk of being on a show alongside people who, in effect, amount to animal serial killers," Morrissey said. "If Jimmy cannot dump Duck Dynasty, then we must step away."

The show dumped Morrissey.

Unlike animal rights activists who force their opinions and agendas, most hunters and meat-eaters have a different, more open-minded "live and let live" view as Phil Robertson, while on the show said, "Whoever the guy was, I don't mind. If he wants to eat vegetables, no problem. We don't care." He also expressed that the family didn't hold any ill feelings toward Morrissey or vegans in general.

Outdoor news outlets also reported a total of 68 Burmese pythons captured in January and February during a public hunt for the invasive snakes in the Everglades. The longest measured 14 feet, 3 inches. Nearly 1,600 people from 38 states, the District of Columbia and Canada had registered for the competition held to raise awareness about the threat pythons and other invasive species pose to native wildlife. A total of $8,000 was awarded in prize money in various categories.

Researchers say pythons are eating their way through the Everglades and decimating populations of native mammals. The snakes can grow more than 20 feet long and have no predators, other than the humans trying to control their population.

Florida prohibits possession or sale of Burmese pythons for use as pets, and federal law bans the importation and interstate sale of this species. It's illegal to release an exotic pet into the wild. For more information, visit PythonChallenge.org

According to outdoor reports this week, the second-largest whitetail deer ever taken by a hunter was shot by an Indiana hunter in November, according to Boone and Crockett, keeper of big game records. The measurement, after the required drying time, revealed a final score of 305-7/8 inches. The buck was a non-typical.

Quail Unlimited (QU), the nation's oldest quail advocacy group, recently announced its closure, according to The Outdoor Wire (TOW). Members of QU are encouraged to move their memberships and allegiances to Quail Forever.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation's (NSSF) website www.wingshootingusa.org helps hunters search for and locate wingshooting preserves nationwide. In addition, the site contains an important wingshooting safety video and links to the Wingshooting USA television show.

Tisma Juett, manager of the NSSF's First Shots introduction-to-shooting program notes that many wingshooting preserves throughout the country remain open through March, offering opportunities for enjoying a late-season hunt with friends and family. A preserve also can be the prefect place to introduce a newcomer to upland bird hunting.

For more information on First Shots, visit www.firstshots.org or contact Juett at tjuett@nssf.org.

The NSSF's Shooting Sports Summit, set for June 10-12 in Springfield, Mass., has been postponed to June 9-11, 2014. "We have postponed the Shooting Sports Summit so we can fully focus our resources on the legislative and regulatory challenges our industry is facing," said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior president and chief marketing officer.

The New England Saltwater Fishing Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence opens this week with show hours on Friday from 1 — 9 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. — 7 p.m. and Sun., 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and it's free for kids ages 12 and younger. Sunday is "Family Day" when women and children (12 and younger) get in free. For more information and complete list of exhibitors and seminar schedule visit http://www.nesaltwatershow.com.

Spring hull care and trailer maintenance will be the topics of West Marine's free boating seminar on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Fairhaven store on Route 6. For more information, call 508-742-0490.

Updated reports on the 2012 deer season results have been compiled and released by MassWildlife with the preliminary harvest for all seasons totaling 10,920. During the special three-day deer hunting season for paraplegic hunters, four deer were taken. Total for the other seasons were: archery - 3,880; shotgun — 4,966; muzzleloader — 2,074; and Quabbin Hunt — 84. Our Southeast District led the state in the archery and shotgun seasons with 1,313 and 1,594 respectively while the Northeast District had the highest total during the muzzleloader season with 605, followed by 524 in Southeast. The final official numbers, summarized by Zone, will be available later in the year.

Marc Folco is the outdoor writer for The Standard-Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com